Fatal Vitality
by Tatsumaki Aphrodite
Summary: AU Shizuka witnessed a manslaugther and robbery at her own home and then gets kidnapped by no other than Bakura himself. She fights to survive under the possession of Bakura and Malik, if they don't end up killing each other first. How will Jounouchi and Mai cope with this and their own relationship problems? BakuraShizukaMalik JouMai
1. Dying to live

**A/N: **Fixed this chapter for the third time and manage to write a second chapter. Let's see if I can keep this up. It has been 8 years already. Sorry for all those who have been waiting for an update ever since. Thanks for everyone who is still following. This story came to me in the middle of the night while I was trying to type up a paper for history class in high school. I finished college already; that is how long it has been. –April 2013

**Disclaimer: **I am broke and have a bunch of student loans to pay off.

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"Which one is your house?" asked by no other than the glacier-white hair Bakura Ryou, the driver of the red Volvo. He had on an inconspicuous blue hoodie imprinted with the phrase "Zokuto" **(1) **and a pair of dark slacks. These were the first words he spoke the whole evening. Bakura had remained quiet and aloof till now.

Jounouchi Shizuka, the girl in a modest white skirt and a teal blouse with the luscious auburn hair, sat behind the driver. "Umm… there, the white one," She pointed out as the car slowed to a halt in front of a large suburban driveway.

Alongside of her is a Chinese girl named Vivian Wong. The very traditional Vivian commonly wore her dark hair in two round symmetrical buns on the top of her head. She sported a black tank top with a pair of blue denim, carrying a mismatching orange tote-bag on her shoulders.

"Wow, your house is huge, man," Honda Hitoro commented in the passenger seat. He wore the usual, a tatter army jacket on top of a black tee-shirt with a pair of jeans.

Aside from Shizuka, everyone had on a pair of gloves. Was it in this season? Shizuka made a mental note to look it up.

"Not really," Shizuka responded absent-mindedly. She wonders why Vivian-chan was so quiet tonight. Usually she would've been chatting a mile-a-minute but today she seems too silent. She also made notice of how Vivian had not made any direct eye contact with her since they got in the car, managing to only stare down at Shizuka's white suede purse whatever she was asked a question. Her answers were generally short and vague, impossible to carry on any substantial conversation.

"Hey, Shizuka," Honda said, "Since your family had just inherited all that money from your rich dead uncle, mind taking us out to dinner sometime?" That outburst earned him an elbow jab from Bakura.

"No problem," Shizuka replied without hesitation. It was a great surprise for her whole family to learn that she had very wealthy distant great uncle, who has recently passed away childless, therefore had no one to inherited his grand fortune. The Jounouchi household had been going through a lot as of late. This money will help their financial troubles considerably. Out of excitement at the sudden turn of fate, Shizuka unintentionally told her _friends _about it, right before Bakura willingly offered to drive her home for once.

These _friends_ had become pretty close to her, especially Vivian, considering that they only had met a little over a month from volunteering at an infant welfare clinic and an inner-city soup kitchen. The girls just clicked after their first conversation. Vivian always knew what to say to get the redhead's attention. It was as if Vivian knew everything about her already. The two guys at the front seats were also introduced to Shizuka by her. They came off a bit shady at first, especially Bakura Ryou. There was just something dangerous about him that made her want to run. It was out of the blue when Bakura and Honda stop by to pick Vivian off work. They invited Shizuka to join them for dinner and she reluctantly accepted.

At dinner, they made Shizuka the star of their topic and she adored them ever since. Vivian told everyone how wonderful she was at volunteering while Honda made goofy jokes on the side. The quiet Bakura just smiled and nodded to her stories. If it wasn't for that night, Shizuka would most likely not have become friends with figures like them.

The autumn evening sky darkened by the minute. As Shizuka replied to Honda, she couldn't help but notice Bakura's eyes shifting in the rearview mirror. Had he been watching her during this whole ride?

"In fact, I'm free tonight. Let me go get something from my home first." The nineteen year-old did not suspect anything as she hopped out of the car and walked across the lawn to the entrance. Instead, her conscience caused her to turn around.

"Actually, do you guys want to come in?" she invited.

Surreptitious smiles spread across the passengers in the vehicle. Honda nearly jumped for it. In fact he did, painfully slamming his head on to the roof of the car. Bakura nodded with a cool composure. That was when Shizuka notice that Honda was carrying a giant, deflated backpack over his shoulders. Behind him Vivian slowly followed, sulking with what seems to be guilt.

As they step got to the front door, Bakura asked, "Where do you store the money?"

Without a second thought, Shizuka answered, "In a metal safe set in the storage room. Don't worry; the door to the room is bolted shut," she laughed. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," a hint of a smirk crept onto his lips.

"Hey, is there anyone else home?" Honda questioned as Shizuka fished for her keys.

"Yea, Mom and Dad are home taking care of onii-chan's baby. You guys should meet him; he's adorable."

Her brother three years her senior, Jounouchi Katsuya, and his girlfriend Kajaku Mai had a son together but they are not married yet. Shizuka had only found out about baby a month ago when Mai-san rang her bell, bearing a one year-old baby boy in her arms. How disappointed did her parents look when Jounouchi tried to explain everything that had happened. He was nearly disowned if it wasn't for motherly love.

A middle man with thick bifocals walked out towards them and greeted as they entered the house one by one, "Ah, you all must be my daughter's friends." He studied the group for a moment before frowning.

Shizuka smiled as she gave her father a hug, "Everyone, I want you to meet my father. Dad, this is Bakura," she said indicating the spiky hair twenty-three year old, "that is Honda," she continues, "and over there is Vivian."

"You sit, I'll go make some tea," the older man offered, after all the greetings and handshakes were done. His smile was instantly replaced by a worried expression as he scurried over to the kitchen.

"No need, dude," Honda called out tensely but the elder man was already gone. His uppity mood before had completely vanished when he met the old man. Fat drops of sweat built up and slid from his broad forehead. He tried to fan himself to cool off but it did not help. Bakura gave Honda a warning glance. Shizuka took no note of that as she set her purse down on the coffee table.

Vivian sat down nervously on the sofa as Bakura whisper something covertly into her ear, his hand rested lightly on her waist. Her eyes strained for a moment before she relaxed again and gave a slight, uncertain nod. Shizuka had always assumed that they were an underground couple but never thought to ask.

Awkwardness permeated the atmosphere as the room continues to bathe in silence. That was when Shizuka excused herself to go tend her brother's baby. No one said anything. Her father is still in the kitchen brewing tea.

She walked in to the baby's room just to see her mother playing with the one year old, Taro.

"Shizuka, you're home," the older woman called out happily as she handed her the blond baby. Her tired eyes yawned as she stretched.

"Shouldn't onii-chan be doing this himself?"

"Your brother went out on a date with Mai, he said that they have a lot of catching up to do. So now we are stuck here with this bundle of joy," mother spoke softly as she tickles the child. The infant gurgled and waved his arms and legs in protest. Her mother and the baby appeared to be getting along fine despite being together for only a month.

So much can happen in a month's time.

Mrs. Jounouchi handed a bottle of milk to Shizuka for Taro. The woman brushed her own auburn hair behind her ear. "You know you should really learn these things now that you're coming of age."

"Mom," Shizuka felt her face slowly flush red in having a conversation with her mother on something like this.

"Maybe one of those boys downstairs could be your future husband." Her mother winked. Shizuka's face burned even redder. She turned around, avoiding the twinkle in her mother's eyes. "But keep in mind not to follow your brother's footsteps…"

Shizuka froze before facing her mother again, "But I thought you like Taro."

Her mother did not answer, only looked down to play with the said child. The discussion died from there.

She continuous to rock the baby in her arms for a while, completely forgetting about her guests when she heard a loud bang –followed by a couple other noises— downstairs in the living room where the three of them were. Her mother quickly turned around toward the door to see what the commotion was, but she was not fast enough so she met her fate.

A speeding, near invisible, bullet zoomed through the air, hitting right into her forehead as blood sputtered outwards. Her knees gave away causing her body to collapse, the crimson liquid spread slowly on the beige carpet, oozing quickly out from the bloody opening.

Shizuka had no time to react. She just screamed at her mother's fallen figure as she clench tightly of the crying baby in her arms till the point where she nearly suffocate him. A gun was pointing directly at her as Bakura's face emerged from the shadows.

Cold brown eyes flashed a faint red tint—the color of his victim's blood. He grinned like a madman at the fallen body before stalking away from the crying girl and the shrieking child.

_What is going on? How can this be happening?_

Shizuka at this point didn't know what to do but to cry like the child in her arms. Her thoughts jumbled up. She tried to calm down and think straight but the scene of her mother getting shot replayed over and over again in her head. Finally snapping out of her haze, she held the baby closer but more gently, desperately trying to figure out a way to escape before Bakura returns or the other two finds them.

At that moment, Honda Hitoro stumbled into the bloody room as Shizuka shrieked once again, fearing for her and her nephew's end. She protectively pulls Taro even closer to her.

"C'mon Shizuka, we have to leave, Bakura would be done soon and if he doesn't see you in the car he might get mad. Trust me. You don't want to get on his nerves." His words caught her off guard.

Just as he was about to successfully calm the tear-struck girl, he added, "Leave the baby here."

Shizuka paused. "No," She answered with all the courage she could muster. Tears swelled up her hazel eyes; it is her job to protect her innocent nephew no matter what.

Honda step closer to her, trying to make a grab at the boy, when she turned around and kicked him aggressively on the groin. She didn't know she had it in her. At once, she leaped towards the wall as she watched the man doubled over in pain. A plan needs to be created now or they are all doom for death.

Just then, the cold-hearted killer stepped in. "What is the goddamn hold up?" He growled before noticing Honda's scrunched up form and then at Shizuka's dark glared at the corner of the room, "You're a piece of shit, Honda," he remarked, giving Honda kick in the gut to add to his other pain.

He walked over and grabbed the teenager by the wrist, "Let's go," he clenched his teeth.

"No! Get away from me, you psycho!" she screamed again.

"You stupid wench. You should know how lucky you are to be alive right now… unlike your hag of a mother over there," he taunted, attempting to pry the toddler from her arms but it was useless. So instead he drew his hand back and slapped her hard across her face, leaving a red hand mark on her cheek. Blood flow from the corners of her lips at the sudden impact but she tried not to let it affect her.

Bakura drew his arm back again, this time Shizuka flinched. He took that as an opportunity to rip the clueless child from her arms. She yelped loudly as he thrust the crying baby hard on to the bed. It bounced a little and continued to whine. Shizuka watched helplessly.

He grabbed her by the wrist again. She wrapped her fingers around the bed post, holding on for her dear life. He gave her another yank. They struggled for a bit. He tried to drag her but she wouldn't budge with her feet digging into the carpet for support. That was when he decided to swing her over his shoulders and carried her like a bag of rice.

The white-hair devil did it so effortlessly that it took the girl a brief second to comprehend what was happening. She kicked and screamed and pounded on his back furiously but it didn't faze him at all. She lowers her head on to his shoulders, biting him with most of her strength but it didn't seem to bother him one bit, his grip only tighten. She did not know how familiar he was with the S&M scene.

They traveled down the stairs as Honda followed sluggishly behind, slightly bending over with his hands on his sensitive area.

The Jounouchi sister screamed and shriek with tears rolling out her eyes. Never in her life has Shizuka felt so scared and feeble. As they make their way to the door, Bakura crushed Jounouchi senior's glasses with his boots. The man's broken body lies close by.

Little Taro whimpered helplessly upstairs on the queen sized bed with his little body tossing and turning, nearly rolling off. He turned over and crawled dangerously towards the deadly edge. He persistently sobbed, calling out "mommy" with every tear.

Meanwhile, Shizuka was violently pitched into the car by Bakura, bumping into Vivian, causing the Chinese girl to drop the heavily stuffed backpack right onto her strappy sandals. She gave a small yelp as the heavy thing landed on her toes, but said nothing as she picked it back up again into the safety boundaries of her arms. The way she held the bag of cash was parallel to the way Shizuka had previously held Taro.

Shizuka swung her legs upwards to kick her capturer. He grabbed them and shoved her into a sitting position.

He watched her red eyes swelling with tear droplets, "Don't worry, I won't kill you just yet." His voice didn't sound too reassuring when he slammed the car door, trapping her in the car. She tugged hard on the handle but the lock was on safety.

The engine roared and the car began to move, quickly gaining acceleration. Shizuka pressed her face against the glass window as they drove farther and farther away from home, desperately trying to escape from her inevitable destiny, whatever it may be.

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To be Continue…

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**(1)** It means 'bandit'.


	2. Hide and Seek

**A/N:** Sorry for the super late update. I bet most of you thought I abandoned this fic already (which I partially did.) It was badly written and the idea was not fully rendered. I felt horrible for not finishing any of my stories. Out of all of them, _Fatal Vitality_ was easiest to get into because things move so fast. Thank you everyone who still following this. Sorry to all the reviewers who didn't get a response from me. It felt weird to reply to you guys when I wasn't sure if I was going to continue. Edited and rewrote some parts to chapter 1. Please go reread it because it's a whole third longer. –April 2013

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Kajaku Mai had an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach when no one at home picked up her phone call. Jounouchi laughed and told her she was just being paranoid but she knew from experience to always trust her intuition. Their dinner date was cut short and the blond man-child sulked when he was force to drive back to their residence.

"I just want to make sure everything is fine at home. Taro can be quite a handful sometimes and your parents aren't as agile as they would have you believe."

Jounouchi Katsuya scowled, "What? You don't trust my parents?"

His girlfriend grimaced at his accusation. "It's not that. With all the stuff that's been going on around the city, I just don't feel safe with that much money sitting in the house." Her fingers tangled themselves in her silky hair to emphasize the aggravation.

Funny, isn't it? The past Mai would never in her life think such words could ever escape from her mouth. When she was young, she used to believe that money was everything. To her, money determines your self-worth, without it, one would have no value. Back then, she would do anything to make bank, foregoing food, sleep, love and pride. Money was never the problem; not having money was. However, after meeting Katsuya and having Taro, her priorities have changed significantly. Finally, she has come to realized what and who are really important to her.

"Can you drive any slower?" Mai snapped at her baby daddy. Her patience was wearing thin.

"The speed limit here is 35, duh," Jounouchi replied matter-of-factly.

"Since when did you start following the law?"

The reason that got Mai attracted to the schmoe in the first place was his inability to follow rules and directions. He abided to his own schedule and to his own logic, which wasn't really logical to say the least. It was extremely frustrating when he showed up to their dates late and underdressed, but it also has its charms. One time, he arrived to her awful, spoiled sister's wedding late and stood up to her neurotic, nepotistic mother when Mai was questioned about her life choices. Then he proceeded to announce to everyone how much more awesome their ceremony is going to be because he loved her and would do everything for her. Although she has yet to see a ring on her finger, she took his words to heart. He is outstandingly loyal and she knows she can rely on him a hundred percent when she is in trouble. He actually makes efforts to arrive in a jiffy if she really needed him. Sometimes she exploits that.

"Since I became a dad. I want my son to grow up right. How do you expect him to be warm and well-fed when all my money is spent paying off speeding tickets?"

The woman rolled her amethyst-colored eyes, "You're full of shit. Like I'll trust you to raise our baby boy alone."

"You trust me enough to come back, didn't you? My sweet honeybun," he leaned in for a kiss only to receive a nudge in the cheek. God, she hated that pet name. It made her feel fat despite all her effort in losing those extra baby pounds.

"Ain't that something?"

Their playful banter was cut short by the sound of loud sirens and blinding lights as they reached closer to their house. By the time they arrived, the sirens were on full blast and there were yellow caution tape everywhere. A mother's worst fear came true. She ran out of the car immediately before it came to a full stop.

The front yard was littered with police officers, investigators, paramedics, and vehicles. The noise, the lights, the smell—everything assaulted the woman's senses at once. She was emotionally lost. Her only goal is to find Taro and fast. Shaking and stumbling as her dressy, patent heels submerged into the wet grass, the flaxen-haired woman searched for a point of entry. A cop stopped her right away.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, you can't be over here," he said, while pretending not to gawk at her cleavage. Lucky for him, Mai did not notice.

"I need to find my baby."

"Ma'am, you can't—" This dimwit guy is not getting the urgency of the situation. Mai gave him a hard look. If he doesn't step out of her way soon, she'll have to do something about it. It definitely will not be pretty and he will definitely regret it.

"Where's my baby?" It came off sounding more as a demand.

The clueless cop shrugged causing her much to her irritation. As much as it was mean to think, she hoped that he will never get promoted and stay in low rank for the rest of his dead-end career.

Just as Mai was about to reprimand him, a sharp cry caught her attention. Mai's face lit up when she heard the familiar wailing. She turned around to see her boyfriend holding their son. In a matter of nanoseconds, she ran up to them and took the child from his arms.

Now it was Jounouchi turn to worry. "This is my home. What is going on here?" he questioned the standing officer.

"There's been a robbery and manslaughter here about an hour ago. Some neighbor called the cops when they heard gunshots."

The two blonds looked at each other, both mouths agape. Jounouchi shook in dismay before wrapping an arm protectively around Mai and Taro, trying hard to remain calm but it was already a losing battle.

Another officer emerged from the scene. This man was in his 50's and had on a nice suit and tie just like those guys on those investigation dramas. He even had on a pair of sunglasses. Judging by his attire, he is of a higher ranked, probably a detective of some sort.

He stared right into the younger man's eye before speaking in a grave, gravelly tone, "Son, I have some bad news."

* * *

Meanwhile back in the red Volvo, Honda was the first to break the thirty minutes of faux peace. He turned on the radio and started humming the tune that was playing. Then to her annoyance, he addressed her.

"Man, Shizuka-chan, you got one helluva kick there. I think you broke one of my balls."

Shizuka did not reply to him, instead she kept her eyes glue to the window, idly surveying the fullness of the moon against the darkening sky. No longer was she crying but she didn't feel like talking to these crooks either. One thing she did find it weird was how Honda can make such a joke at a time like this. Why was he still trying to get on her good side even though he probably knew that she is thoroughly repulsed and sickened at their heinous crimes to her family? Was he looking for forgiveness? It's like he was still trying to please her, which is strange. She speculated that they have done this many times before since none of them appeared to be fazed by the contingency of the night's events. In fact, they all look calmer after the robbery and homicides. It would not surprise her if they were convicted prison escapees. Now she wonders what they are planning to do with her.

Vivian made a hapless giggle. "Never underestimate a woman, Hit-kun."

_Tch, whatever. _

This was the first comment Vivian voluntarily made tonight. The she-culprit sound quite relieved, like a two-ton weight had been lifted off of her after she filled the empty sack with pounds and pounds of cold, hard cash. Then the two-ton reality check fell and hit Shizuka hard: _what a fake biddy_. It had always been an act. Always. Who are these people really? Did they even give her their real names? What is their ulterior motive in capturing her after they already robbed her of her family fortune? What if they think she has more money hiding and will torture her for the location of non-existing riches? The redhead couldn't answer those questions. The realization had made her feel more scared and alone. She can't believe how naïve she was for falling straight into their trap, bringing danger right to the safety of her home.

"Yea, don't know if my balls can handle any more of that."

"I told you to wear a protective cup or a cod piece, didn't I? There's no one to blame but yourself."

"Viv, I'll put one on if you wear breastplates, like Xena, and a chainmail bikini bottom with nothing else." His nose bled as he fantasized his partner in such an outfit. That earned Honda an angry punch to the back of his head.

Shizuka wanted to shush them. Now is not the time to make jokes. These are the last people on Earth she want to be confined in a small space with. Their mundane conversation continued to remind her of her dire situation and how hopeless and bleak it feels. That was the last thing she wants to think about. She was doing perfectly fine blocking out their existence until Honda opened his mouth and Vivian just drew it out. Why can these two be like Bakura-the-murder and just keep silent?

Speaking of the murder, Bakura drove in a quiet reserve. Occasionally, he'll glance over at her in the rearview mirror when he thought she wasn't looking. Shizuka caught him doing that several times in her peripheral vision but she had stopped caring. All she wants to do now is escape and then report these psychos to the cops. And even that won't do her family justice nor will it undo any of the damages inflicted on them; however, it is still something as oppose to the nothing she is doing now. Why is she so weak and helpless?

"I know you have a breastplate in your kitchen. Please, Viv, I just want a picture. It'll be the best Christmas gift ever."

Coolly, the girl in the black tank top loosen one of the hair ties holding her buns and then she swiftly rose up as much as she can from her seat before lunging at the guy in front of her. She wrapped the ribbon tightly around his neck as an endeavor to strangle him. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's my mini cooking wok not a damn breastplate, you fucking idiot?" She barked.

"Help me, Bakura!" Honda gagged, while he grabbed the arm of the stoic man next to him. Bad move.

The vehicle came to a sudden stop. Everyone suffered a whiplash. Honda and Vivian froze in their position, waiting for the angry albino to respond. There was heavy tension in the air. The driver did not turn to anyone but everyone can sense the hostility in his tone when he said, "Who else wants to contribute to the body count tonight?"

He didn't raise his voice but his accomplices knew him well enough. It was a warning. Vivian lowered back to her seat, while Honda closed his mouth, keeping his hands to himself. They had experienced Bakura's unpredictable violence. Neither of them wants to test out the seriousness of his threat.

Taking the silent retreat as an answer, the car started again. In the back, Shizuka peeled her eyes away from window. That comment made her livid. She had not care to partake in their mundane interactions earlier but this really took the straw. That jerk. How dare he? He can't say that. The now-orphaned girl fumed. All her prior fears disappeared and anger took place. Whether or not he was baiting her, there is no way she was going to let him get by scotch-free after making such a disrespectful remark about her late, loving parents.

She looked up at the rearview mirror. "To some people, they were not just bodies. They each had a name and a life before you kill them and took everything away. They had families and people who care about them. You don't even know them. How can you murder them so heartlessly and talk about these human beings like they are nothing? How can you be so cruel and selfish?"

The other two shot each other worry glances. Vivian tried to hush the poor girl but her attempt was ignored. Honda, on the other hand, kept an eye on Bakura to spot the first telling sign of danger. His hand gripped steadily on the door handle, just in case something goes down.

"You don't think about the consequences of your actions on other people, do you?" Furious tears streamed down her face, her nostrils flared. She felt like she was reliving the pain again. Nearly choking on her saliva crying, she returned to the sobbing mess she was from an hour ago.

Shockingly, to the relief of everyone, Bakura disregarded her outburst and continue driving without a hitch. However, Vivian and Honda knew that this was not the end of it. They were sitting in the eye of a storm. Any minute now, the fury will strike at any one of them. Then it came not a moment later.

"Honda."

Honda jumped at his name, "Y-yes?"

"Did you fill up the gas tank beforehand like I asked you to?"

"I did," he gulped.

The madman slammed his fist on the dashboard. "Then why is the tank almost empty!?" It wasn't really a question.

"Well, I had to stop by the grocery store to pick up some stuff after getting gas. B-but this is a Volvo so you should be able to get good gas mileage. I mean, as long as you don't hit the gas like crazy. It is not a really good getaway car but it's built for safety. Like bulletproof o-or something." Honda stuttered. He is a little taller than Bakura, even without the help of his pointed coffee-brown hair, but right now he felt so small and minuscule compare to the man next to him.

"So, are you saying this is my fault?"

Before the situation got out of hand, Vivian intercepted, "Hey, there's a gas station up ahead. We can just fill up there. I really need to use the restroom anyway." The discussion ended at that point.

Bakura and Vivian got of the car as soon as they pulled over by pump number four, leaving Shizuka under the watch of Honda Hitoro. This was her chance to make a run for it. Fingers found the handle of the door. She gave a hearty tug only to be disappointed that the stubborn lock refused to budge.

Honda noticed her action and turned to her, "Do you need anything from the station? I can tell Vivian to get it for you."

"I need to go," was all she replied.

It confused him at first but then the realization dawn on him, "Oh, like to take a whiz. You need to pee?"

She nodded halfheartedly. And she thought she was the naïve one here.

The man in the old army jacket actually got out of the vehicle to open her door. Shizuka couldn't believe her luck. After all the horrifying events that had happened tonight, things were finally going her way. It took her a lot of willpower to not leap for joy when she heard the lock clicked open.

Immediately, she walked towards the street. She couldn't recognize where they were or remember any of the directions to get home from there. They did take a highway but she couldn't recall which highway or exit they took. Then they drove on local for a bit. It felt like they were going in circles at one point. There were a few cars speeding by them. One thing is for certain, they must be in a big city for she spotted a couple high-rises within a distance.

Just when she was about to make a quick sprint, a hand grabbed her elbow. "The toilet is that way," Honda gestured.

Poor trusting boy, Shizuka thought, as she sprayed him in the face with a can of aerosol she found on the floor of the sedan. He yelped at the surprised assault and released her arm. On the corner of her eyes, Shizuka caught sight of Bakura exiting the convenient store.

Without a second thought, she dashed madly across the street. It doesn't matter where she goes as long as she can find someone to help her. But the entire place was completely foreign and empty save for the two cars that zoomed by. Every time she hit a corner, she turned or cross the street, zigzagging down the city, wherever she is. It's been several blocks already but there was still no one around. No matter how dangerous the area is, she convinced herself that it would be a lot better than being in stuck in a car with three cold-blooded murders.

The girl made the mistake of looking behind. A glimpse of white flashed into her vision. Instantaneously, she rounded the corner. Bakura was tailing closely after her. She was already feeling a bit out of breath. There was no way she can outrun him, so she needed to outsmart him. Making a decision that even people in movies would deem unwise, she turned into a dank alley.

The alley had a horrendous stink of rot and sewage. The ground was sticky and wet and partially covered by trash amongst other substances. Unknown creatures scurried by her feet, while more hid in the shadows. She wore platform sandals today, not the best kind of footwear for this type of situation. If she makes it out of this, she will never wear open-toe shoes again.

A loud screech startled her as a fat rat landed on her shoulder. She leaped backwards, knocking over a stack of boxes. A sheet of loose cardboard on the floor caused her to slip. Shizuka fell face-forward into a dark, smelly puddle—her skin, hair, and clothes were covered in grime. On her hands and knees, she crawled into the pile of fallen boxes hoping to conceal herself before her captor finds her.

It was too late. Strong, cold hands gripped on her tiny ankle, yanking her out before she can fully hide away in her cardboard sanctuary. She kicked and screamed at her assailant but he was barely fazed by her feeble attempt.

He released her leg once the girl was lying completely flat on the ground. Bakura knelt down with one knee in between her thighs, while one of his hands grabbed on to her slim neck, suffocating her screams. With ease, he tore off one of her sleeves. Shizuka groaned. Fear danced in her eyes as she watched the man on top of her. She did not like where this was going.

"P-please… D-don't do this," she tried her best to beg but it was getting harder and harder to breathe with him crushing her throat.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes. Suddenly she felt the grip on her neck loosen. But before she can generously inhale some tainted air, a rope of fabric came down on her mouth. Bakura had used her sleeve as a makeshift gag.

Ripping off her other sleeve, he wrapped the material around her wrists several times before securing a knot. The young bandit stood up to admire his work. If he had more rope, he could have easily hog-tie her but he didn't want to strip her naked in an alley at the moment. There was a time and place for everything. This was not the time. She was so weak, it wasn't really necessary to tie her up; it was just for preventative measures in case she tries to escape again.

The defeated Shizuka hung limply on his shoulders as he carried her back to the car. Vivian stood by the opened trunk when he tossed her in.

"Sorry, Shizuka-chan, this is for your own good." And with that, she slammed the lid close.

* * *

Back at the crime scene, Jounouchi sat unmoving on his brown leather couch with his hands covering his face. Mai looked over at her boyfriend, worried and unsure of how to comfort him after the detective informed them of the robbery and homicide that occurred shortly prior. Taro rested peacefully in his mother's arms.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Jounouchi," Detective Crocketts empathized.

The blond man sniffled as he finally lowered his hands. His eyes were swollen and blood-shot red. "I've got to call my sister." His voice cracked when his spoke. Mai nodded beside him with her phone readily in her palm.

As Mai clicked on speed dial, a loud ringing emitted from the center of the coffee table causing everyone within the proximity to jump. The three pairs of eyes simultaneously strayed toward the direction of the noise—a suede white bag.

"It's Shizuka's purse," Mai observed.

Jounouchi tore open the bag at once, frantically pouring its entire content on the coffee table.

"My sister would never leave the house without her phone and keys," he reported to the detective. Flipping through her wallet to look at the content, he continued, "Her I.D. and her student card to uni are still here."

The detective jotted this down on to his notebook and he then asked, "Did she leave the house today?"

"Yes, she went out to volunteer late this morning at the Infant Welfare Center and she hadn't returned yet when Katsuya and I went to our date. I know because I was home for the whole duration of day," Mai answered straight-forwardly.

"What time did the two of you leave for your date?"

"Around 6:30. We had a reservation at 7."

The detective stood up to paced in front of the couple. "So Jounouchi Shizuka must have returned and left home sometime between 6:30 and 8:30, when the bodies were discovered. She didn't take any of her personal belongings with her but your family fortune is missing. And from what I've gather, you don't have any other assets outside of this house and your auto repair shop, which really isn't all that valuable," that earned a scowl from Jounouchi but he nodded for Crocketts to continue. "The door to the safe was damaged, however. There was no sign of breaking and entering so there is only one conclusion…"

"My sister has been kidnapped," Jounouchi gasped.

"Okay, two conclusions then. Prepare yourself for this," the detective whip off his sunglasses for the first time that night. "I think you sister was involved with the burglary and manslaughter of your parents." He immediately puts his sunglasses back on, "Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaa(inhales)aaaaaah!" That was the worse sound the couple had ever heard.

"First of all, you didn't even do it right. You're supposed to make a pun after you put on your sunglasses. And second, my sister is a sweet girl. She would never harm anyone, let alone murder our parents. You're an awful detective."

"And you are in denial. Also, I'm working on it, alright. Not really good with puns. In the meantime, my partner will be handling this case from now on."

As if on cue, a young woman with long light-blue hair walked over to the couch. She had a burgundy trench coat on and a coral dress underneath. Her skin was amazingly pale and free of blemishes like she had never seen the sun in a day of her life. It was funny how neither Jounouchi or Mai had noticed someone as strange as her before. She almost looked like an angel.

She smirked and outstretched her hand to Jounouchi, "Detective Kisara at your service."

* * *

**A/N: **Do people still considered Bakura as albino anymore? It's been awhile since I've been on this fandom so I don't know. Wished I picked a different car. Had to look up the specs for a Volvo and it turns out that Volvos are more of a luxury family vehicle than it is a cool getaway car. So, this story turned out to be a lot more hilarious than I had first intended.

Going to update if people are still reading this. Probably will make an outline for this so I won't trip over plot holes.


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